-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An 85-year-old American man detained and later let go by North Korean authorities described his time in custody as comfortable .

Merrill Newman , who returned to the United States this weekend , told the Santa Cruz Sentinel in California that he was kept in a hotel room , not a jail cell , and fed traditional Korean food during his detention .

If anything , he was `` bored , '' the newspaper reported he said .

Newman had traveled in October as a tourist to North Korea on a 10-day organized tour . Authorities nabbed him just minutes before his Beijing-bound plane was set to depart Pyongyang .

American ` deported ' by North Korea fought there 60 years ago

For weeks , the North Korean government offered no explanation as to why they were holding Newman .

An explanation finally came last month , when state media published and broadcast what they described as the Korean War veteran 's `` apology . '' The word was written atop the first of four handwritten pages detailing his alleged indiscretions .

In the note dated November 9 , Newman talked about his having advised the Kuwol Unit , part of the `` intelligence bureau '' fighting against Pyongyang during the Korean War . He detailed how he commanded troops to collect `` information '' and wage deadly attacks .

`` After I killed so many civilians and -LRB- North Korean -RRB- soldiers and destroyed strategic objects in the DPRK during the Korean War , I committed indelible offensive acts against the DPRK government and Korean people , '' Newman said , according to that report .

When asked about the apology , Newman gave a smirk , according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel .

`` Obviously , that 's not my English , '' he said .

Newman 's release coincided with a visit by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden to South Korea , where he laid a wreath in honor of those who died in the war that pitted North against South .

A senior administration official said that Newman 's release was the result of direct contact between Washington and Pyongyang . The official said the North Koreans had told the Obama administration in a telephone call that they were releasing Newman ; no explanation was offered .

In Palo Alto , California , Newman 's neighbors tied yellow ribbons around objects to welcome him back .

CNN 's Greg Botelho and Ben Brumfield contributed to this report .

@highlight

Merrill Newman , 85 , returned to the United States this weekend

@highlight

He speaks to the Santa Cruz Sentinel newspaper in California

@highlight

Newman says he was fed traditional food and kept in a hotel room